1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to turbulence detection systems and more particularly to an atmospheric data aggregation and forecasting system that utilizes a network of member aircraft for collecting and sharing data to be used as inputs to atmospheric and turbulence forecasting tools and methods.
2. Description of the Related Art
In today's environment, the flight crew has limited access to tactically relevant atmospheric information needed to improve efficiency and safety of flight operations. Most of the information that is available is strategic in nature (long range forecasts covering large areas). This approach tends to be overly restrictive and conservative due the dynamic behavior of the atmosphere. The flight crew also has access to turbulence reports from other aircraft that have been reported to the air traffic control system. At the other extreme are turbulence and windshear warning systems that literally provide last second warnings.
The focus of current solution strategies involves the following:                1) The aircraft provides limited wind and turbulence reports to an operations center by voice or ACARS (primarily winds aloft information).        2) This information is collected and analyzed by the operations center.        3) Updated wind and turbulence information is provided to the Flight Crew (by voice communications or by ACARS). However, the bandwidth of current communications systems is limited. Furthermore, communications costs are high and the time lag for data reporting, data analysis, and weather forecasting does not always allow timely information to be provided to aircraft already enroute.        
New communications channels are being introduced into service that provide higher bandwidth at potentially lower costs. This allows more weather data to be transmitted between the aircraft to the operations center. More complete or detailed data from airborne sensors can be collected and transmitted to the operations center. More complex weather information can be provided in return to the aircraft. These higher bandwidth channels support the delivery of graphical weather information to the aircraft in addition to, or instead of, the current text-based weather data.
Maritime Applications have similar limitations. Limited weather information is gathered from buoys, ships, and platforms. The weather information is collected and analyzed at an operations center. Updated weather conditions and forecasts are provided to remote users via radio systems or satellite communications.
Remote Land-Based Applications have similar limitations. Updated weather conditions and forecasts are provided to remote users via radio systems or satellite communications.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,043,756, issued to Bateman et al, entitled “Aircraft Weather Information System,” discloses a system and method for downlinking weather data, generated by existing weather and data sensors, to a ground station. The ground station utilizes data from multiple aircraft to form refined weather information, and uplinks the refined weather information to the aircraft. The refined weather information is stored at the aircraft and picture generating equipment, such as an existing onboard ground proximity terrain picture and symbol generator, generates pictorial information depicting weather. The pictorial information is displayed, for example by an existing EFIS or weather radar display, in the form of polygons.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,501,392, issued to Gremmert et al, entitled “Aircraft Weather Information System” is related to U.S. Pat. No. 6,043,756, discussed above. The ‘392 patent discloses a similar system and method.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,667,710, issued to Cornell et al, entitled “3-D Weather Buffer Display System”, discloses a system, method, and computer program product for generating various weather radar images. A weather radar display system includes a database, a display, and a display processor coupled to the database and the display. The display processor includes a first component configured to store radar return data in a three-dimensional buffer in the database based on aircraft position information, a second component configured to extract at least a portion of the data stored in the three-dimensional buffer based on aircraft position information, and a third component configured to generate an image of the extracted return data for presentation on the display.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,751,532, issued to H. Inokuchi, entitled “Wind Turbulence Prediction System” discloses a wind turbulence prediction system for an aircraft that measures the speed of remote three-dimensional air flow by mounting a laser wind speed indicator utilizing the Doppler effect on an aircraft, irradiating laser light while scanning same in a cone shape, and then receiving scattered light from wind turbulence regions forward of the aircraft body in flight. The system expresses wind turbulence by breakdown of the same into turbulent flow strength and average wind.
U.S. Ser. No. 11/014,118, still pending entitled, “Weather Data Aggregation and Display System For Airborne Network of Member Aircraft,” filed concurrently herewith, by co-applicants, P. McCusker and E. Anderson, and assigned to the present assignee (bearing Rockwell Collins Internal Docket No. 04CR173/KE), discloses a weather data aggregation and display system for displaying weather radar information to a pilot of a member aircraft of an airborne network of member aircraft. The weather data aggregation and display system includes an airborne network system (ANS) positioned on the member aircraft adapted to receive incoming geo-referenced weather data regarding Significant Meteorological Systems (SMS) from associated airborne network systems positioned on other member aircraft. A data processing system (DPS) is coupled to the airborne network system for generating the member aircraft's perspective of the SMS, based on the incoming weather data and the member aircraft's navigation and attitude information. The DPS provides DPS output weather data. An airborne display system (ADS) is positioned on the member aircraft and coupled to the data processing system. The airborne display system is adapted to receive the DPS output weather data and in response thereto display desired weather imagery of the Significant Meteorological Systems. The ANS is adapted to re-transmit the incoming geo-referenced weather data to associated airborne network systems positioned on other member aircraft. This co-filed patent application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.